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San Antonio to Host First-Ever Summit on Mexican-American Studies in Texas Schools

Controversy over a proposed textbook, Mexican American Heritage,
has dominated recent discussion on the subject of integrating
Mexican-American Studies (MAS) into public school curriculum in Texas.
While response to the book has been overwhelmingly negative from
scholars, it has raised awareness of the need for Texas to “get this
right,” according to Michael Soto professor at Trinity University, and former member of the State Board of Education.

Members of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus and the Senate Hispanic Caucus
have long been aware of the need for Texas to “get this right.”
Mexican-American and Latino students comprise 51.3% of school-­aged
children in the state of Texas and this demographic is expected to grow
to 67% by 2050 according to the Hobby Center. Their cultural
invisibility from current state and U.S. history curriculum is
problematic, according to advocates like state Sen. José Menéndez.

“I think we can do a better job without segregating ourselves,” Menéndez told the Rivard Report in May.

The proposed textbook, Mexican American Heritage, was produced by Momentum Instruction. Composite courtesy images.

Tejas Foco points to research that indicates students who participate in MAS and other ethnic studies courses see improved performance in school.
Researchers attribute this to being more engaged in the instruction,
especially in the cases of minority students learning about their own
heritage, and how their ancestral contributions shaped history. Once
engaged in their coursework, it is more likely that these students will
go on to graduate with higher test scores and grades than their previous performance would have predicted, according to this research.

It would seem that academic enfranchisement has benefits.

Other studies have shown that white students also benefit from ethnic studies. While they are emotionally challenging, students did find the classes interesting and engaging. One study
showed a minor but observable increase in cognitive development for
students engaged with diverse populations through study and experience.

At a fundamental level, research shows
that the ability to see things from another’s perspective is critical to
cognitive social development.

In April 2014, the State Board of
Education approved a call for MAS textbooks and other ethnic studies
texts under the umbrella of “special topics in social studies,” an
elective that existed already under the current standard for Texas
Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).

The guidelines for special topics in
social studies are intentionally vague, according to Soto, and so it is
not particularly difficult to find curriculum that meets TEKS standards,
and thus require consideration for approval by the State Board of
Education.

Lumping MAS into special topics in social
studies, as well as including other ethnic studies, was a compromise
ventured in 2014 by State Board of Education member Ruben Cortez
(D-Brownsville). While many hoped for a designated course requirement
for MAS, Cortez proposed the umbrella designation and call for text book
submissions, which may have been the key to the proposal’s approval.

The controversial textbook demonstrated
to many that while Cortez’s compromise was an important step forward,
MAS does not have the definitive protections of other studies. Each
district will decide on its curriculum, and it is very possible that
books like Mexican American Heritage could be included.

The goals of the summit on Saturday are
to identify institutional barriers, establish priorities, and develop a
plan of action for the implementation of MAS in Texas schools from Pre-K
to 12th grade and for increasing access to MAS courses and content within the broader community.

During this Summit there will be a press
conference addressing the controversial Mexican American Studies
textbook being proposed to the Texas State Board of Education, as well
as other issues related to the Summit, at 11:15 a.m. in the McAllister
Auditorium.

The summit is presented by the National
Association for Chicana & Chicano Studies Tejas Foco Committee on
Mexican American Studies Pre-K–12, and hosted by San Antonio College
with co-sponsorship support from the Palo Alto College Center for
Mexican American Studies, the Center for Mexican American Studies at UT
San Antonio, Somos MAS/Mexican American Studies San Antonio, Tejas, the
Center for Mexican American Studies and Research at Our Lady of the Lake
University, MAS Unidxs, the Mexican American Studies Program at UT Rio
Grande Valley, the Rio Grande Valley Coalition for Mexican American
Studies in K-12 Education, Nuestra Palabra, Librotraficante, MAS Texas,
and MAS for the Masses.

This story was originally published on Monday, June 13.

Top image: Charros hold American, Texas, and Mexican
flags during the Western Heritage Parade in February 2016. Photo by
Scott Ball.